An electrical grid is an interconnected network for delivering electricity from suppliers to consumers. More specifically, the electrical grid is a vast, interconnected network of transmission lines, starting from a supplier of electricity to a consumer of the electricity. The consumer may be, for example, a personal consumer or an industrial consumer.
It has become increasingly important to manage the electrical grid, in order to more efficiently distribute electricity in an environmentally friendly manner. For example, the electrical grid has started to be connected to lower or zero emission sources such as, for example, windmills, hydropower plants and solar, all which provide less emissions than conventional facilities. In another example, electricity suppliers are providing discounted fees for off-peak electricity consumption, e.g., providing cost incentives to consumers for those using their appliances during the off-peak times.
Also, it has become more vital to manage the electrical grid to distribute electricity in a safe manner. Electricity suppliers must often monitor their electrical grids for downed power lines and electrical faults to prevent such problems from physically harming consumers and causing further electrical problems. To monitor the electrical grid, the suppliers deploy field crews to locations where there may be problems with the electrical grid, to analyze situations at the locations, take manual measurements of electrical devices at the locations, and if necessary, reconfigure, repair or replace the electrical devices to resolve the problems.
However, the field crews deployed to work locations may encounter various challenges at the locations. For example, an electrical device may be damaged which can pose a safety issue to field crews. In addition, some of the problems involving the electric grid may be difficult to detect without accurate measurements of electric devices and/or without the expertise of a field crew with a more specialized skill set.